We appreciate the idea of a 4 man crew. My personal issue is that from the beginning of that game it was obvious that the 4 umpire system was shaky. They were talking with each other about where to be and we out of position on several occassions. Individually they are all solid umps for the most part. Training on positioning would help if it has not already been done. If training has happened, then NSA needs to do a better job of evaluating ability. This isn't rec league softball. Many of us make sacrifices and pay a lot of money to play this game and I do not think expecting more efficient umpiring is unreasonable.
Quick note: That call at home was handled incorrectly in my opinion. Runner is called out at home after ump checks to see if catcher has the ball still. (Great slide by Ambush by the way). Ambush doesn't like the call and asks for an appeal, which is in their right to do. 4 umps get together and we are told all the other umps agreed that he was safe at home, but the guy with the closest and best positioning called him out. We were given no other explanation other than that the other umps thought he was safe and the home plate ump changed his call. This is an example of the home plate umpire needing to stick to his call because he made the call. If he was unsure or needed help, HE should have been the one to ask for help, not the other team. The fact he felt confident enough to not ask for help only means he was talked out of his call. This is not acceptable for an umpire, especially the home plate ump.
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